And growled, as a sea-dog will.

"Do' ee know who Nelson was?

That pore little shrivelled form

With the patch on his eye and the pinned-up sleeve

And a soul like a North Sea storm?

"Ask of the Devonshire men!

They know, and they'll tell you true;

He wasn't the pore little chawed-up chap

That Hardy thought he knew.

"He wasn't the man you think!

His patch was a dern disguise!

For he knew that they'd find him out, d'you see,

If they looked him in both his eyes.

"He was twice as big as he seemed;

But his clothes were cunningly made.

He'd both of his hairy arms all right!

The sleeve was a trick of the trade.

[Pg 27]

"You've heard of sperrits, no doubt;

Well, there's more in the matter than that!

 Prev. P 51/792 next